Jennifer Hudson: This Girl is on Fire

Jennifer Hudson is on a confidence roll, with a post weight-loss body she loves, a new fashion line, and cool tv and movie roles. Four years after her family tragedy, she's planning a bright Christmas.

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Forget Aspen or Times Square: This holiday season, Jennifer Hudson is most excited about the party taking place in her closet. It's a gigantic windowed showplace, with plush purple carpeting, a chandelier, and custom shoe racks sized to accommodate everything from thigh-high boots to flip-flops. Because Jennifer, 31, can't shop incognito anymore, the space in her new Chicago home is designed to resemble a store. "That way I can still have the experience of shopping," she explains, gleefully showing me video of the closet-to-be. And just like a store, she's going to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony when construction is complete. "Then I want to go inside and have a party, and everyone has to wear a robe," she says. "Only those who appreciate it will be invited, not ones who are like, 'Um, why are we in the closet?'"

Sounds like fun, and like the perfect sanctuary for a star emerging from grief. This past May, Jennifer's former brother-in-law was found guilty of the 2008 murders of her mother, brother, and 7-year-old nephew. When the verdict was read in a Chicago courtroom, Hudson was present with her sister, Julia, and fiancé, David Otunga (with whom she has a 3-year-old son, David Jr.). She's still emotional about it. "Do I feel relief?" she says, holding back tears. "Yes, to a certain extent."

But Jennifer's sadness is quickly replaced by a smile when she talks about all the projects she's got going on. On this sunny afternoon in New York City, as she takes a break between appointments during Fashion Week, it's clear the woman thrives on a busy schedule. In addition to the Jennifer Hudson Collection, her new QVC clothing line, this Weight Watchers poster girl has just filmed two movies (including the drama Lullaby alongside Amy Adams) and taped an extended guest stint on the TV hit Smash. In typical J. Hud style, she's throwing a wedding into the mix: After a four-year engagement, she's marrying Otunga, a professional wrestler who is also a Harvard Law School grad. She's mum on the details, but the bubbly, low-key star is happy to dish about everything else, from her bod to her full-blown case of Christmas mania.

REDBOOK: Because it's our December issue, can you tell us how you celebrated Christmas growing up?

JENNIFER HUDSON: Christmas was always a big time for us. Even to this day, I will battle down that there's no such thing as Santa Claus. Don't you tell me that! I remember my mom would get up and put our toys outside so that they'd be covered with snow the next morning. We would also go to my aunt's house on Christmas Eve and come back midnight-ish, and my sister and brother and I, we would swear we saw Santa on his sleigh. "There he is, there he is!" And we'd always have a Christmas play in church and would all march down the aisle holding little lights.

RB: I'll bet you want to create similar memories for your son.

JH: His father and I are the biggest holiday fanatics. The day after Halloween is officially our Christmas season. Like, the Christmas music starts. David is worse than me! Each year we get a new Christmas ornament for the tree, and we've got to fill up the stockings. You could give David the greatest gift in the world, but if you don't have that stocking stuffed, you have destroyed Christmas and everything it stands for. One year I forgot--that's why I know this. And I started another tradition. Last year right after New Year's, David and I were saying, "If only we could just extend the season." Then I happened to go to Aspen, and the lights and trees were still up--in Chicago, it was all gone. So it was serious breaking news. I said to David, "You gotta get here." He dropped everything, came to Aspen, and we added a new week to the holidays.

RB: Do you have anything planned with your extended family?

JH: I started a Winter Ball in a hotel for over 100 family members--because one of my holiday pet peeves is you have guests come over and then they leave to go to someone else's home. I hate that! Don't come! Here's my other reason: Who in the world came up with, "This is the holiday, but the women are in the kitchen slaving"?

RB: Exactly! So it's catered?

JH: Yeah! I was like, "Now that I'm a woman in a house, this ain't for me. So let me treat you." And for the kids, we have a Santa's Village room with whatever dream gift they want, in the other room we have a live band, and TV for the men who just want to sit on the couch. We have a blast.

RB: You have another tradition: the Julian D. King toy drive and Christmas dinner in honor of your late nephew.

JH: The dinner is for kids who are doing well in school--just progressing, they don't necessarily have to have all A's or B's--and we grant whatever their Christmas wish is. Then we have the toy drive on Christmas Eve for less fortunate kids, called the Julian D. King Gift Foundation. One kid got an Xbox and did flips in the middle of the room! We want to make sure any kid we can help, we help--while encouraging them with their education.

RB: How did the idea come to you and your sister, Julia?

JH: Well, with everything that happened with our family, it's hard to get through the holidays. So I was wondering, How can we turn such a negative around and make it a positive thing? How can we be able to look forward to the holidays and the birthdays? And so we came up with giving back. My nephew was super into education. He loved reading, he called himself "Dr. King." He would give himself a curfew--"I have to go to bed, because I have to get up early for school tomorrow." And he never went without a holiday. I mean, my sister would always start shopping for him two months in advance. So this keeps her focus. This way she shops for all the kids in Chicago.

JH: I mean, you can never fully get complete closure--whatever that means. Is there really ever a point of closure? Do I feel healed? [Her voice breaks.] No.

RB: Let's talk holiday food. How do you resist temptation?

JH: I have a different treat for each season, so for the holidays, it's hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie, which is going to cost me about 15, 16 points. So I just make sure I set aside the points for it. And I luck out, because my favorite meal is baked turkey wings, sweet potato fries--baked, not fried--and greens.

RB: No bite of pumpkin pie or anything like that?

JH: My biggest thing is banana pudding, but it's the devil! So no one is allowed to bring it into my house. I'll say, "It's not on my Weight Watchers radar. It's not tolerated! It will be thrown away!" Because I can't control myself. So why put it in my domain?

RB: Are you now at the weight you want to be?

JH: Oh, yes. I've been there. But I hear all the time, "Don't lose any more weight; you need to stop." People are under the impression that I'm still losing, but I'm not.

RB: How do you feel, mentally, about having lost it?

JH: I'm getting used to my new self more than anything else. I got used to being plus-size and knowing how to be that, whereas this is like, "Okay, who am I?" Even picking my sizes, I still have that issue where it's like, "I probably need an extra-large or a large," and the stylist is like, "No, you need a medium or a small."

JH: I had a meeting and the ball started rolling. It didn't seem foreign to me. I know how to dress my curves. I know what I like, and that's what it's all about. It's like, who's your fashion icon? Me. And no one but you knows what you feel most comfortable in. I look at each piece and think, Could I wear that as big Jennifer or could I wear that now? I want to consider every girl.

RB: How did your role on Smash come about?

JH: This was my first television experience outside of Idol. I remember getting the call: "Are you interested in doing a guest spot on Sma..." They barely got it out of their mouths and I was like, "Let's do it!" My character is a Broadway star, and it's similar to my story in a way. She inspires the other girls, but you get a feel of the price of fame. It isn't all glamour and glitz.

RB: Okay, why won't you share your wedding details?

JH: With so many people watching me, it's easy to get lost in what other people think. So this is my way of saying, "This about me."

RB: What's your next goal in life?

JH: I love a challenge and accept them whenever they come along. A friend of mine asked me, "Did you ever think you'd have your own clothing line?" Growing up, when we'd get gym shoes, my brother and sister would get the name brands. But I said, "I don't need a name brand. With me wearing it, it makes it special by itself." That's what I grew up saying! And now I have my own line, and I can't believe it. I didn't see it coming. But it's here.